Valley political consultant sheds light on why Gen Z loves Trump

PHOENIX — A recent Harvard poll found that most of Generation Z approves of former President Donald Trump.

In fact, 64% of Gen Z voters said that Trump did a good job while in the White House, according to this month’s Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.

There are a few reasons for this, according to Stan Barnes, a Valley political consultant and former state lawmaker.

“It’s not because this age group has taken a chart and run Trump policies on the right and Biden policies on the left and done a compare and contrast. That’s not happening,” Barnes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday.

Arizona political expert explains why Gen Z loves Trump

Most of Trump’s appeal to younger voters comes from his media approach, Barnes said.

Younger voters are intrigued by sensory stimuli from their phones — and Trump is great at grabbing attention online, he added.

“Trump appeals to people via media because his style is so much different in contrast with Joe Biden,” he said. “I think this age group is basing it on this kind of thing.”

Barnes added that this isn’t the case for all Gen Z voters. Many young people simply like Trump’s policies, he said.

The fact that Gen Z seems to loves Trump scares Democrats, Barnes added. Typically, younger voters gravitate towards candidates on the left, but this suggests a shift, he said.

“This is a locked constituency for them, every election, but maybe not this time,” he said.

How will younger voters impact the 2024 U.S. elections?

Barnes wasn’t sure if Gen Z voters would have as much of an impact on the election results as older voters.

“Historically, they make noise about turning out, but percentage-wise, they don’t,” Barnes said. “The voters that turn out are in their mid-50s or 60s.”

Ultimately, those who participate are the ones who make their voices heard, he added.

“Young people are generally doing other things. Voting’s not a priority. But it is the older you get,” Barnes said.

However, it’s crucial to note that Trump has wide-ranging appeal, he added.

“Trump gets Democratic votes. He gets union votes. He gets Latino votes. He gets African-American votes higher than any other Republican in our lifetime,” he said. “And that coalition is a new coalition.”